Solar thermostat control unit



March 15, 1960 w. c. LEE

SOLAR THERMOSTAT CONTROL UNIT Filed Aug. 5o, 1957 INVENTOR l v N.\JIINY m N A L Aw S i @y mN will' Kw@ Nm W/lin C, Lee

Unite States Patenti 2,92%,6015 SOLAR THERMOSTAT wann c. Lee, Meivindaie, Mich. Applic'ati August so', 1'957, snat N. 681,232 6 Claims'. (clima-'467) This invention relates t automatic cotil systems and more particularly to a thermostat ctrl nit for water supply systems. i y

It is an object of the present invention to -"provide a control unit that is vresponsive t the radiation f heat, such as the rays of the sun 'for automatically controlling the supply of water to a water sp'inkler or irrigation system.

It is another object ofthe present invention to provide a control unit of the above type which is Aadapted to per'- mit the discharge of water through the `irrigation means in response to the `intensity of the rays of Ithe s'n in the vicinity of the irrigation apparatus. s I

Other objects of the invention are to prot/ide thermostat control unit bearing the above objects ininnd which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to Amanufacture etlicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better iindstanding of the invention, reference may be had to 'thevr following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, .in which: .g e

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cro'ss sectional vliwuof a thermostatic control system .made in accordance with the present invention; and l Y Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the manner in which the control system is connected to the irrigation equipment. g

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a solar thermostatic control system vmade in accordance with the present invention is shown to `include a control valve unit that has a housing 12 defining a water storage chamber 13. This chamberv is zprovided with 'an inlet port and an outlet port 16, which outlet port is'normally closed by means of an outlet control valve .plunger 18 carried at one end of a longitudinally reciprocating rod 19. This rod passes through a medial wall 20 within the chamber 13 which defines a secondary control valve chamber 22 on the other side thereof.. The rod 19 passes through a gasket 21 that prevents the passage of water from one chamber to another.

The opposite extremity of the rod 19 is connected to the central portion of a exible diaphragm 24 that extends across the secondary control valve chamber 22. A' coil spring acting against the adjacent end of the rod 3.9 normally biases the outlet control valve plunger head 18 into closing engagement with the outlet water storage chamber 13. However, in response to the admission of water to the secondary control valve chamber 22 under pressure from the inlet port 27 on the front side of the diaphragm, sufficient pressure is available to urge the diaphragm 24 and connected rod 19 in a rearward direction against the action of the spring 25 to effect the opening of the valve plunger head 18 to permit water Vto pass outwardly through the outlet port 16 of the valve unit from the inlet port 15. This outlet port 27 is in communication with the main water supply inlet port 15 through a secondary valve opening 28 that is controlled by a valve plunger 30. 'Ihe inlet 31 between the valve 2,928,606 Patented Mar. `15, 1,960

maintains the secondary valve in a closed position thus preventing the entry of pressurized flow into the secondary valve chamber 22. However, the valve rod 35 is connected to fthe adjacent portion of the flexible diaphragm 24, which also has one end of a connecting rod 36 secured to the opposite side thereof so that the valve rod V35 and connecting rod 36 are virtually connected together for reciprocating longitudinal movement. Thus, in response to a compressiveY force upon the connecting rod 36, the secondary valve is caused to open `against the action of the spring 33 to permit pressurized water to enter the secondary valve chamber 22 through the inlet 27 to effect movement of the main portion of'.y the diaphragm 24 against .the action of the spring 25 to retract the main control valve plunger head 18 out of closing engagement withthe outlet 16 to permit water to ,pas's directly through the water storage chamber 13'from the water supply inlet 15 to the water outlet 16. Removal of the compressive force upon the connecting rod 26 is thus adapted to close the secondary valve 30, whereupon the pressurized fluid within the secondary valve chamberp22 will slowly pass outwardly through a bleed eport 38 in the valve rod 19 to the outlet 16, thus reducing the pressure within the .chamber 22 and permitting 'the spring 25 to urge the rod 19 and valve plunger head 18 back toward the initial closing position so that water iiow to the outlet 16 is cut oi.

A thermo expansive control unit 40 yis .provided to control the movement of the connecting .rod 36. This unit 40 Vincludes a parabolic .shaped reflector 42 having a centrally located core l43 .within which Va heat absorber unit 45 is mounted. This heat absorber `includes a central mass 46 of thermo `expansion material and `mounted within an annular .llange 49. A gasket also mounted within the flange 4.9.separates the materialmass 46 from the Vadjacent end of -a socket 48t'hroug`h which the connecting rod -36 extends..V An enclosure tube '37 complete ly 'encloses the entire length of the connecting 'rod 36 and Y thus fixes the distance between theadjacentends of the control valve unit 10 and the thermo .expansive control unit 40. AItwill now berecognized that in Vresponse to expansion of the -massof material 46 of the absorber 45, an outward force wlillbe .exerted against Vthe end nof the connectorn rod 36 that is in abutment with thega'sketSt) so as to effect movement thereof .relative toftheenclosure tube 3.7. This relative movement thus effects .the opening of the secondary control valve 30 'in theA manner hereinbefore explained.

A ground engaging stake 52 is adjustably connected by means of a joint 53 to the core 43 of the thermo expansive unit 40. vIt is thus possible to tilt 4the reflector 42 to any desired angle so as to concentrate the rays of the sun upon the absorber 45. The parabolic shape of the reliector facilitates the focusing of the sun rays.

As is more clearly shown in Figure 2, the valve unit 10 and thermo control unit 40 are placed adjacent to the sprinkler 57 or other irrigation equipment that has a connecting hose 58 extending from the water outlet 16 lto the inlet of the irrigation equipment. The inlet of the valve unit 10 is connected to a manually controlled water supply valve 55 by means of a similar iiexible hose 56. Once the unit has been set up, the supply of water to the irrigation equipment is automatically controlled by the intensity of the heat of the sun so that no further adjustments are necessary. e

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes Ashall centratingfsolar rays onto said material.

n an A be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the 'appended claims.V

WhatV I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent ofthe ,UnitedStates is: ,Y Y

1. `A solar. thermostat vsprinkler Y control, system I comfprising,v in combination, a control valve unit, VsaidV valve having-a pressurizedwater inlet and pressurized water foutlet1neans connecting said pressurizedv water inlet of said valveunit to a pressurized Water source, means connecting said pressurized water outlet of said valve unit to irrigation equipment, and heat radiation responsive means for controlling the flow of pressurized water through said control valve unit Yfrom said inlet to said outlet, said h eat radiation responsive means comprising a relatively small compact mass of `thermal expansion material andv a relatively. largeV curved reflector for con- 2`. Irrigation mechanism comprising a land sprinkler;

Aa source of pressurized water; valve means between said :sourceand said sprinkler; heat responsive power means for opening and closing said valve means to control ow ofwrater to the sprinkler; said power means comprising a cup-like casing and guide sleeve extended therefrom,

lthermally expansible material sealed within said cups. like casing, and a rod slidably extended within said sleeve in pressure communication with said expansible material; an .operative connection between said rod and valve means Vfor translating reciprocal movement of the rod v finto opening and closing movements of the valve means;

and a parabolic retlector positioned to concentrate solar vrays onto the cup-like casing for vcausing suicient-heat Y to be developed to expand the expansiblesmaterial;

`wall means sealing said material within the casing structure and movable in response tol material expansion;

force-translating means between saiddeformable wall means and valve meansfor translating movement of the expansion material into opening and closing movements of the valve means; and a relatively large parabolic reflector positionedwith its focal point located at the casing structure to concentrates'lr-ra'ys onto said casing structure forf causingsuticient heat to be developed to expand expansion; force-,translating means between said deformable wall means and valve means for translating movement of the expansion material into opening and closing movementsfof ,the valve means; and a reiiector positioned =to concentratev solar rays'onto the cup-like casing for causingjsiiicient heat 't o be developed to expand the 'expansion material.

v6. Irrigation mechanism comprising a land sprinkler;

.a source ofpressurized` water; valve means between said source and said sprinkler; heat responsive power means for opening and closing said valve means -to control flow of water to the sprinkler; said power means comprising a cup-like casing',`thermal expansion material within said j 3. Irrigation mechanism comprising a land sprinkler;V

a source of pressurized water; valve means between said source and said Y, sprinkler; heat responsive power `means for opening and closing said valve means `to control ow vof water tothe sprinkler; said power means comprising a casing structure and guidesleeve extended therefrom," thermally expansible material sealed within said casingstructure, anda rod slidably extended within said sleeve in pressure communication with said expansible material; an Eoperative connection between said rod and valve means for translatingreciprocal movement of the rod into opening and closing movements of thevalve means;

and 'an arcuate reectortpositioned to concentrate solar. `rays onto the casing structure for causing sufficient heat v to be developed to `expand the expansible material.

4. Irrigation mechanism comprising a land sprinkler; 'asource of'pressurizedwatenrvalve means between said source and said sprinklennhat responsive power means for opening and closing said valve means to control flow of water to the sprinkler; said power means comprising a relatively small casing structure, thermal expansion material within said casing structure, and deformable casing, and `deloriri'able,wall means sealing said material within the casingand movable in response to material expansion; force translating means between said deform- "able-wall means ,and valve means for `translating movements of ,thegvalve means; a reflector positioned to coni centratesolar rays onto the cup-likecasing for causing sufiicient heat to be developed to expand the expansion material; ground-engageable support means; anda pivotal connection between said support means and the reiiectorpower means assembly for allowing `said assembly to i operate at different positions of the sun.

References Cited` in the iile of this patent l 'i z- UNrrEo STATES 'PATENTS 726,490 Yeiiiilgon Apr. 28, 1903 2,083,317 Da llenbach June 8, 1937 2,218,895 Selig .L Oct. 22, 1940 2,271,833 -Shipman et' al. Feb. 3, 1942 2;524;796 Higgins vOct. 10, 1950 2,774,343 Y Schaleret al. Dec. 18, 1956 2,786,633

Mayo Mar. 26, 1957 

